Advertising blotting device



Nov. 16, 1 937. E. F. ONEILL I 2,099,135

ADVERTISING BLOTTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29, 1935 'I u v A .B. C; URL/g Ca T322 F 99.

- Jnz/enior II/GEAEE 0 WEILL Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES ADVERTISING BLOTTING DEVICE Eugene F. ONeill, St. Paul, Minn., assignor of fifty per cent to Frank M. Skaj, St. Paul, Minn.

Application August 29, 1935, Serial No. 38,415

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an advertising device, and particularly to such a device comprising a blotter.

Blotters formed of the usual plain sheet of blotting paper or cardboard are now commonly used for advertising, the advertisement being merely printed upon the top surface of said blotter. Such blotters are widely distributed and used but have become so common that the user in many cases never notices what is printed upon the top of said blotter. .It is an object of this invention to provide a blotting structure comprising a blotter of sheet material having a handle or manipulating porl5 .tion secured thereto which facilitates the use ofthe blotter and has substantially vertical surfaces adapted to receive advertising whereby the advertising is quite conspicuous and can hardly escape notice.

It is a further'object of the invention to provide a blotting structure comprising a blotter of sheet material having another sheet of material secured to the top surface thereof so as to leave the bottom surface of the blotter uninterrupted, said latter sheet being formed into a narrow loop extending across the blotter and forming a handle, said loop having substantially vertical sides adapted to receive advertising information and also being adapted to receive some specimen of goods such as a safety razor blade or a stick of chewing gum.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a blotting device comprising a blotter of sheet material having a handle portion se- 5 cured to the top thereof, which handle portion .is of narrow width and resilient, the same having vertical side surfaces adapted to receive advertising information, said handle thus being constructed and arranged to be bent over substantially into the plane of said blotter and to return to a vertical position when released.

It is still further an object of the invention to provide a blotting device comprising a blotter of sheet material and a member also formed of sheet material bent into a narrow loop secured to and upstanding from said blotter and a second member of resilient material secured to said blotter and having a portion upstanding within said loop and acting to return said loop to vertical position if it is bent over toward the surface of said blotter.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference shown in Fig. 4; and

material I6. Strip [6 is shown as rectangular in characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:--

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section taken on line 5 2--2 of Fig. 1 as indicated by the arrows; Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 as indicated by the arrows;

- Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified form of the device; 10

Fig. 5 is a view in end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of another modification; Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on line 'l'l of Fig. 6 as indicated by the arrows; 15

Fig. 8 is a partial end view of a slightly modified form of the device;

Fig. 9 is a view in end elevation showing the parts in a different position;

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation of the device Fig. 11 is a partial view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modification.

Referring to the drawing, in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a device is shown comprising a blotter l5. While this blotter might be of different shapes, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as made from a plain rectangular sheet of the usual blotting paper or cardboard. Sheet l5 has secured to its top surface a strip of sheet form and having its sides and ends parallel respectively to the sides and ends of blotter 15.

Member 16 is also disposed substantially centrally of blotter l5. The sheet I6 is secured in 5 a manner to leave the bottom surface of blotter l5 uninterrupted and in its natural or original condition. In practice sheet l6 has been secured by a suitable adhesive to the top of blotter l5. Strip l6 has secured thereto another member [7. Member I! is also formed of sheet material and has a base portion engaging member l6 and secured thereto by some suitable means such as the staples l8. Said base portion of member I1 is shown as of the same length as member I6 45 and of somewhat less width than member I6. Member I! is folded at its medial portion to form an upstanding loop l'la having a bight at its top and said loop portion l'la extends a considerable distance at each end of said base por- 50 tion and to a short distance from the ends of the .blotter l5.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 10 another form of the invention' is shown, also comprising the members l5 and I6 as already described. A member I9 is 55 shown, however, and while this member is of the same form and structure as member I! already described, it has its base portion secured to member l 6 by an adhesive rather than by the staples l8 shown. The member I! and the member I9 appear in side elevation as shown in Fig. 10, from which it will be seen that the loop portions of said members extend closely adjacent the ends of blotter I5 and have their lower corners rounded. A

In Fig. 6 a device is shown comprising a blotter similar to the blotter [5 already described, to which is secured a piece of sheet material 2|.

The sheet 2! is shown as of rectangular form, ex-' tending transversely of blotter 20, disposed centrally thereon and having its sideand end edges parallel respectively to the end and side edges of blotter 20. While member 2| might be secured to blotter 20 in any desirable manner, it prefer ably is secured thereto by a suitable'adhesive. Another member 22 of sheet material is folded into a bight adjacent its median line and has a base portion 22a extending at either side thereof and in engagement with sheet 2|. Said base portion 22a is of the samelength as sheet 2| but of somewhat smaller width. Saidbase portion 22a is secured to sheet 2| and while it might be secured in any suitablemanner as by stitching, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as secured thereto by the staples 23.

The portion of member 22 above base portion 22a extends beyond said base portion and to points adjacent the sides of blotter 20. As shown in Fig. 7 the lower corners of the upper or loop portion of member 22 are rounded.

In Fig. 8 a portion of a blotter formed from 'a sheet of ordinary blotting paper or cardboard is shown as 24 and a'she'et 25 similar to sheet l6 already described is secured thereto by. a suitable adhesive. Another member 26 similar to member l9 already described is secured to strip 25, the same being shown as having its lower portions disposed with a space 26a therebetween. It will be noted that member l9 has its lower portions substantially in contact. The space 26a is somewhat smaller in width than the space between the upper portion of the side portions of 'a loop formed by member 26. The membersl'l, i9, 22 and 26 are preferably formed of some resilient material such as a stiiT resilient paper or fiber, or celluloid. Such material will make it possible for said members to be bent over substantially into contact with the blotter members and for said members to return to vertical position when released. In Fig. 9 member 26 is shown as bent over substantially into contact with the surface of blotter member 24. g

In Fig. 11 a modificationis shown comprising a blotter 21 similar to the blotters l5 and 26 al ready described, to which is secured a member 28 of general T-shape having a base portion secured to the top surface of blotter 21 and having a narrow upstanding portion or tonguev 28a. Member 28 is formed of rubber or similar resilient material. Another member 29 similar to member 26 already described is .provided, being bent into a bight at its central portion and having outwardly extending base portions 29a which will be secured to the bottom portionof member 28 in any suitable manner as by a suitable adhesive. Member 29 may also have secured in its upper or bight portion a substantially U-shaped member 30 of some stiff material such as. stiff paper, celluloid or thin metal. Member 29.will extend across the blotter in the same manner as members [1, l9 and 22 already described.

The resilient member 28 will insure that the central or loop portion of member 29 maintains a vertical position and if this portion be bent over toward the surface of blotter 21, said member 28 will act to return said portionto a vertical position. The member 30 acts to maintain the bight portion in its proper curved shape.

The loop portion Ila and the corresponding portions of members l9,.22, 26 and 29 may be used to house some article. A lead pencil may be placed therein by the user or a sample specimen of some article of merchandise such as a package containing a safety razor blade indicated in dotted lines as 3| in Fig. '7 or a stick of chewing gum indicated in dotted lines as 32 in Fig. 10 may be placed in said loop portions by the distributor of the device.

In operation the blotter will normally rest on the desk, desk blotter or other surface where it is used. When the blotter is to be used the user will grasp the handle formed by the loop portion Ha and by the similar portions of members I9, '22, 26 and 29 and will press the blotter upon the writing to be blotted in the usual manner. The blotter can be put down on the surface'to be blotted with one end contacting first and brought into complete contact with said surface by a rocking motion. This gives the best blotting efiect. The said loop portions thus form a handle and it will be seen that the same have substantially vertical sides. These vertical sideswill be used to carry an advertisement or advertising. information as illustrated by the legend 33 shown in Fig. 10. This advertising material will thus beconspicuously visible and the user will not fail to see and read the same.

From the above description it is. seen that applicant has provided a simple and efiicient advertising device andone having a high degree of utility. The advertising value of the blotter is greatly increased by having the advertisement where it is conspicuously visible. The ease of manipulation of the blotter is greatly increased. The blotter is more easily seen on the desk and the same can be more easilyand quickly picked up than the ordinary flat blotter. The loop portion or handle upstanding from the blotter can be bent down into a position substantially parallel to the top surface of the blotter for shipping or mailing. The life of the blotter is increased. It is well known that blotting paper is not made with long fiber and is not tough grained. If the sameis bent into a sharp angle and especially if it is repeatedly so bent tends to crack or tear. By having the strips I6 and 2| extend over quite a large surface and spaced from the sides and end of the blotter this cracking or tearing effect is avoided. By having the loop extend beyond the ends of the base portion a large advertising space is secured. The device has been amply tested in actual practice and found to be very successful and efficient.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions 'of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention,

which generally stated,.consists in. a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:.

1. A blotting structure having in combination, a blotter of sheet material, a second sheet of material secured tothe top surface of said blotter and folded into a narrow loop upstanding from said blotter, a member of resilient material disposed in said loop and secured to said blotter whereby said loop may be bent over substantially into the plane of said blotter and will be returned to its vertical position by said member.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 and a substantially U-shaped member of stifi sheet material secured in the top bight portion of said loop toretain said portion in shape.

3. A blotting structure having in combination, a blotter formed of a sheet of blotting paper, a handle portion for said blotter comprising a narrow loop of resilient sheet material upstanding substantially at right angles from said blotter and extending centrally thereof to points adjacent the ends of said blotter, said loop having base portions at each side extending substantially throughout the length thereof bent outwardly and secured flat against the top surface of said blotter, the undersurface of said blotter being unobstructed, whereby said blotter can be bodily manipulated by grasping said loop and said loop may be pressed down against the surface of said blotter but will return to upstanding position by the resiliency of the material.

4. A blotting structure having in combination, a blotter formed of a sheet of blotting paper, a handle of resilient sheet material for said blotter comprising upstanding side portions spaced slightly apart joined at their upper ends and extending substantially centrally of said blotter to points adjacent the ends thereof, said sides having outwardly bent lower portions throughout their lengths secured flat against the top of said blotter whereby said handle constitutes a resilient loop which may be bent down against the top surface of said blotter but will spring back to upstanding position, the undersurface of said blotter being unobstructed and said side portions having advertising matter on their remote sides.

EUGENE F. ONEILL. 

